6. Giving up on Laettner
Similar to shipping out Butler after several months of disgruntlement, the Wolves were forced to trade former third-overall pick Christian Laettner in February 1996. In the trade, Minnesota also sent out Andrew Lang, a young big with promising potential after entering the league as a second-rounder.
While the Laettner experience was short-lived, his time in the twin cities didn't go without controversy. The former Blue Devil star began his career on a high note—averaging 18.2 points and 8.7 rebounds as a rookie.
However, in a period of turmoil, the Timberwolves sought to add the best players, regardless of position. Minnesota signed forward Tom Gugliotta in Laettner's third professional season further clogging the frontcourt rotation. And just one season later, Minnesota drafted perhaps the best player in franchise history—Kevin Garnett.
In this same timeframe, Laettner's antics got under the skin of teammates and coaches alike. Whether it be being labeled as a ball-hog or getting shouting matches with coaches, Laettner's impressive statistics weren't worth the headaches.
Although shipping out Laettner was in Minnesota's best interest, the return for a blossoming power forward and an outperforming center was disastrous. The Wolves received a 32-year-old Spud Webb and a 29-year-old Andrew Lang for the two youngsters. Webb played in 26 games, while Lang appeared in only 20. Neither player averaged more than 10 points per game nor shot above 43 percent from the floor.